Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190)
Subclass 190 lets nominated skilled workers live and work in Australia as permanent residents. Nomination is the centre of it: without one there is no application to make, whatever else is in place.
It sets out, concisely, what the Department states about this visa and where each point comes from. It is an overview, not the law: it names requirements rather than explaining how to satisfy them, and it does not tell you whether you qualify — that depends on your circumstances, and it is what an appointment is for.
What the official page says
Each row below links the official page it comes from.
What the Department lists for this visa
Named, not explained. Each of these is set out on the official page, and what it takes to satisfy one depends on the facts.
- Nomination — The visa is a nominated one. Who may nominate, and what a nomination requires, is on the official page.
- A relevant skilled occupation — The occupation has to be one that counts for this visa.
- A suitable skills assessment — For that occupation.
- An invitation to apply — As with the other points-tested skilled visas.
- The points test — No score is stated on this page.
Nomination is the difference
Compare the three: the Skilled Independent visa’s Points-tested stream states that there is no sponsor and no nominator; this visa is nominated; and the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa is nominated by a state or territory OR sponsored by an eligible relative. All three involve an invitation and the points test. This one and the 189 lead to permanent status; the 491 is provisional. If nomination is not available, this is not the visa, however strong everything else looks.
Where the requirements and the application are published
- Skilled Nominated visa (Subclass 190) — Department of Home Affairs — The page that governs: its requirements, its streams, its conditions, its cost and its Apply link.
- Visa Pricing Estimator — The Department's own tool for what an application costs, including family members. This page states no figure.
- Global visa processing times — A live tool, linked by the official skilled pages themselves. Nothing is quoted from it here: it shows recently decided applications, is a guide only, and is not specific to your application.
- Who can help with your application — Worth reading before you pay anybody for immigration assistance.
What to have ready
Preparation examples, not a checklist of requirements. The official page sets out what is actually required, and what a particular application needs depends on the circumstances.
- Your passport, and passports for anyone you would include in an application
- Your occupation, and any skills assessment you already hold, with its date
- Your qualifications and the evidence behind them
- A record of your skilled work history with dates and employers
- Any English language test result you hold, with its date and test type
- Any nomination correspondence, with the nominating body and the date
- Any invitation correspondence you have received, with its date
- Any previous visa refusal or cancellation, with its reference number
The Department describes this visa as being for NOMINATED skilled workers — the nomination is what makes the pathway available, not an optional extra. Who may nominate, and what their own criteria are, is set out on the official page and is not reproduced here. Official subclass 190 page — Department of Home Affairs
A relevant skilled occupation, a suitable skills assessment for it, an invitation to apply, and the points test — alongside the nomination. They are named here and explained on the official page. No points score is stated on this page. Official subclass 190 page — Department of Home Affairs
The 189's Points-tested stream states there is no sponsor and no nominator; this one is nominated; and the 491 is nominated by a state or territory or sponsored by an eligible relative. The 189 and the 190 are permanent; the 491 is provisional. Official subclass 190 page — Department of Home Affairs
The Department describes it as letting nominated skilled workers live and work in Australia as permanent residents, and gives the stay as “Permanently”. Official subclass 190 page — Department of Home Affairs
No fee is stated here. The official page states that from 1 July 2026 a lower visa cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid visa application, and its cost line adds that concessions apply in limited circumstances. Whether a particular person is eligible is decided on the official criteria. Use the Department's pricing estimator for an amount. Official subclass 190 page — Department of Home Affairs https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/visa-pricing-estimator
No estimate is given here. The Department publishes a global visa processing times guide, linked below as a live tool. In its own words it shows the processing times for recently decided applications, it is a guide only, and it is not specific to your application. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-processing-times/global-visa-processing-times
Talk to somebody about your own situation
This page explains how the visa is structured and what to prepare. What applies to you depends on your circumstances.
General information about Australian visa processes, not legal advice about your situation. Legal services are provided by Jameson Law.